Oaxaca.

Beautiful colours and peaceful courtyards walking the streets of Oaxaca City. 

Pablo Ortiz Monasterio

Incredible photographs of the Huicholes, an indigenous north mexican community.

'The celebration of the Hikuri Neyra is essentially a fertility ritual. It begins months before the festivity itself, when they make a pilgrimage to the desert of Wirikuta (where the sun was born) there, they collect the Hikuri or Peyote (Lephophora Williamsii) that, along with the maize and the deer conform a Sacred Trilogy. They return to the sierra with a load of the sacred plant, and right before the rain season, they celebrate the Hikuri Neyra. They sacrifice deer to offer its blood to Mother Earth, afterwards, the community gathers in the ceremonial centers to eat peyote and dance for three days and three nights, caressing Mother Earth with their feet, so that She will wake up happy and willing to receive the seed of the maize. The group choreographs draw serpents, which represent the water, because the rivers, seen from above, seem to be serpents and in addition, in those mountains, the serpents only go out when it rains, in this way, they summon the goddesses of water, so they watch over the maize harvest, the chief food source of the Huichol Nation.'

Taller Leñateros

I discovered this beauty in San Cristobal de las Casas, Taller Leñateros is a beautiful print workshop founded by the poet Amber Past. All the papers they use are 'hecho mano' - handmade using old techniques and the prints they have made are naive beautiful and strong. Hidden away on the back streets of the city i can't explain how excited i was when i found this little gem. They let me in, even with my limited spanish and allowed me to wonder about at will. 

The majority of the works that they produce are books and cards made with the intention of sharing the ancient poetry and prose of the maya women. Theres more about their work and places to buy it here. 

This is just one of many beautiful woodcut, wheat paste, fly posted images all over the city. 

After writing my dissertation on the Mexican woodcuts of over 100 years ago, seeing the woodcut technique still utilised prolific here is bloody wicked.  

San Cristobal de las Casas

Ive been living in San Cristobal de Las Casas now for the last few weeks. 

 Visiting the market everyday to buy to produce from the surrounding mountains the colours and smells and foreign fruits. Its an overwhelmingly creative and diverse pueblo, the people here are beautiful and warm even if the climate is not, despite being in Mexico we still wearing wooly hats and thick jumpers. 

Graciela Iturbide

Incredible Mexican feminist photographer, born 1942.

Forgotten murals mexico

 Found in the back of Gertrude bloms house.

CD insert

Drawings for the inset of a new CD to be released soon by a good friend of mine in Columbia.

The round table

El Finito. 

Gurunsi Masks

very nice.

Birdie

Good morning.
Its cold out there,
porridge and coffee,
Icy cycling awaits.

The round Table.

A Table i found in the scraggly streets of Cable, been carving away at it.. next a chair. 

Drawlings.

I have started work as Charlotte Manns assistant two days a week, so have been practising my linear line and ink drawings. This is just a little clip from a drawing of my higgeldy piggeldy treehouse bedroom.

Charlottes website. 

Circular motives

I have been working on some things. Some murals and some carvings. Found wooden furniture rough-hewn and gouged, dug and grooved, the repetitive systematic cut.

I will show you soon. 

Canal Walks

Walking along the canal, crispy sunny days. 

Drawing, mark making, confirming reality. 

This is my bedroom.

or at least it could be.

Crab apple

Today i have been out collecting crab apples and wondering the grey streets of London. Winter is drawing in, out come the woolie socks and bottles of red wine to get us through this cable guttersnipe life.

The cat is pregnant again. 

This recipe is from the WI Book of Preserves...

1 kilo of apples
450g's caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon

simply was the crab apples and remove the leaves

cover in water and bring to the boil, simmer for about 30 minutes, untill soft, mash.

pour into a jelly strainer and leave overnight. (do not push the mash through, this will make the jelly cloudy)

The next day pour the liquid into a saucepan and mesure 450gm caster suger for 600ml of liquid.

heat gently then boil rapidly for about ten minutes

test for a set (crickley skin test on a cold saucer)

pour into hot jars and seal.

Wild Sage Offer

Ola Lovelies, 

My Mummas put a nice deal on her website,

if you make an order for over a tenner and its for the UK,

she'll give ya free delivery in the run up to Christmas! 

Get some beeeautifull natural and handmade goodies for your Grannie, Uncle, postman?!@ whoever your heart desires.....

https://www.wild-sage.co.uk/